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Episcopal Church History and Answers to Other Questions You May Have

What is the Episcopal Church?The Episcopal Church in the USA is the American branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion, a daughter Church of the Church of England. Episcopalians and others in the Anglican Communion are often referred to as Anglicans.

How did the Episcopal Church in the U. S. A. get started?Anglicans came to America and established the first English colony at Jamestown. Since Anglicans in America before the American Revolution had to swear allegiance to the reigning English monarch, it was necessary to change the organizational structure of the American Church to preclude any necessity to swear allegiance to a foreign power. In the early days of the church, the Church of England was reluctant to consecrate new bishops who would not recognize the reigning monarch. The American Church, nevertheless sent a bishop-elect, the priest Samuel Seabury, to approach the English bishops for consecration. The bishops there were unable, because of English law, to consecrate him, so he approached the bishops of Scotland. Since the Scottish bishops were under no such restrictions as the English bishops, they give Seabury an apostolic consecration. After this consecration, the English law changed to allow the English bishops to consecrate bishops for America, and they did indeed consecrate two additional bishops for the American church. As a consequence the Episcopal Church is now fully in communion with the English Church and with other Anglican churches throughout the world.

What does "Episcopal" mean? Episcopos is the Greek word for bishop. Episcopal, therefore, means "of bishops." The Episcopal Church maintains the three-fold order of ministry as handed down by the Apostles, deacons, priests and bishops, in direct descent, through the laying on of hands, from the original Apostles. Episcopal is an adjective, and Episcopalian is the noun. For example, a person is an Episcopalian who belongs to an EpiscopalChurch.

So is the Episcopal Church Protestant or Catholic?Both. The Anglican Communion is often referred to as a "bridge church", meaning a bridge between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. When the Church of England separated itself from Rome, it did not consider itself to be a Protestant church. Christianity arrived in Britain in the first or second century A. D., and the British church lived without the pope’s authority for four or five hundred years. After the Roman missionary Augustine arrived in England in 597, he negotiated with the British bishops to bring the British church under the authority of the pope. At the Reformation then, the English Church, saw itself as returning to the organization of the original British church, dioceses organized under the rule of their own bishops. As the church evolved in England, certain elements of the Reformation, such as worship in the vernacular and a broader view of the Real Presence of Christ in the consecrated bread and wine in the Eucharist (or Lord’s Supper) became a part of its tradition. In an attempt to reconcile the views of the Reformers with the tradition of the Catholic Church, the Anglican tradition became a home for both.

Is it true that the Church of England was founded by Henry VIII?No. King Henry VIII's desire for an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon was indeed a political factor in breaking away from the pope’s authority. But the trend toward separation from Rome had been building for several centuries in England, a country that had never fully embraced the rule of the papacy. The Church in England saw itself as returning to the ancient independence from Rome the Church enjoyed before Augustine brought the Church in England under the control of the Bishop of Rome in the 6th century AD.

Is the Archbishop of Canterbury the Anglican Pope?No, he's not. Anglicans don't have a pope. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the spiritual head of the Church of England and the primary spiritual leader to the rest of the Anglican Communion. He is highly respected and has a great deal of moral authority, but he does not have the same governing authority over the churches of the Anglican Communion that the Pope has over the Roman Catholic Church.

How is the Episcopal Church governed? The local congregation is governed by the rector (or pastor) and a vestry of lay persons elected to that office by the entire congregation. The congregation or vestry elects lay delegates to a convention of the diocese (a cluster of congregations headed by a bishop) meeting annually. The diocese elects four lay delegates and four clergy delegates to a General Convention meeting every three years. The General Convention is bi-cameral in government and is composed of a House of Bishops, including all the bishops in the Episcopal Church, and a House of Deputies, including the delegates elected by all the dioceses in the church. The elected leading bishop of the church is called the Presiding Bishop. In some provinces of the Anglican Communion, the leading bishop is called the Archbishop, as in the Archbishop of Canterbury.

What is The Book of Common Prayer? The first Book of Common Prayer was collated by Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Cranmer in 1549, and revised by Cranmer in 1552. After Cranmer’s death, the Prayer Book was revised again in 1559 and 1662. This 1662 revision is still used as the official Prayer Book of the Church of England and is considered a literary classic among scholars. The book was intended to facilitate worship in English rather than Latin, and to bring the rites of the church together into one book for use by both clergy and lay folk. Each national church in the Anglican Communion has its own adaptation of the Prayer Book.

The American version, used by the Episcopal Church, was last revised in 1979. You can browse a copy online. In the Prayer Book, you will find, among other things, the orders of service for the various rites of the church, including Daily Morning Prayer, Daily Evening Prayer, Noonday Prayer, Compline (the late evening prayer service), the Holy Eucharist (or Communion service), prayers for home devotions, other prayers as needed, and the Lectionary (or a list of scripture readings to be read in the public worship of the church for the entire church year). The Prayer Book also includes the Psalter, or the 150 psalms, for recitation or chanting in the church’s worship.

How do Episcopalians worship?Following the example of the Early Church, the Episcopal Church observes the Holy Eucharist (or communion) as the principal act of worship on the Lord’s Day. Most of the Reformers, especially Luther and Calvin (and even the later Wesley), were adamant that the Eucharist must be celebrated every Sunday. Some of their followers years later, however, decided, for their own reasons, against this practice. If you are familiar with Roman Catholic or Lutheran services, you will find Episcopal services remarkably similar. There are three Eucharistic rites in the Prayer Book. The first uses the traditional language of Cranmer’s Prayer Book, the second uses contemporary English, and the third is for use in very informal occasions, such as church camp settings or other informal gatherings.

How can I learn more about Episcopal worship practices? The best way to learn more about our worship practices is to come and visit. You are cordially invited and will be most welcome. If you want to read more, try this page.

I'm planning on visiting an Episcopal Church. May I take communion?All baptized Christians, regardless of denomination, may take communion in the Episcopal Church.

What are the sacraments of the Episcopal Church?Holy Baptism and the Holy Eucharist are the two primary sacraments of the Church. Other sacraments consist of Holy Confirmation, Holy Matrimony, Reconciliation (or confession), Ordination, and Unction of the Sick (or anointing the sick with oil) for healing.

What does the Episcopal Church believe about the Sacrament of Holy Baptism? Holy Baptism is the initiation rite of the Church. It conveys God’s grace so that the initiate may grow in Christian strength and brings the initiate into the family of Christ, where he or she can be nurtured in the process of that Christian growth.

Does the Episcopal Church baptize infants? Yes. We believe that the grace conferred by the Sacrament of Baptism is not and should not be reserved only for adults.

What does the Episcopal Church believe about the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist? The Holy Eucharist is more than just a memorial for Anglicans. It is Christ’s gift of grace to us. Although Anglicanism has never attempted to define just how Christ is present in the Bread and Wine as the Roman Catholics do in their theory of transubstantiation, nevertheless, Anglicans see in the Eucharist the Real Presence of Christ, so that when we eat the consecrated bread and drink the consecrated wine, we are truly and really receiving the Body and Blood of Christ.

At what age may a child take communion? Episcopalians find it difficult to conceive of a member of Christ's family being denied a place at Christ's table. Ergo, a baptized child may take communion at any age. We do not believe that one must be able to understand what it is all about for the sacrament to be valid. After all, which one of us does completely understand what it is all about. We believe that God’s grace is always given to anyone who asks for it. However, the decision of when a child may receive communion is left up to the child and his or her parents.

Does the Episcopal Church ordain women to the clergy? Yes. The Episcopal Church has ordained women to all orders of ministry since 1976.

How do I join the Episcopal Church? Do I need to be confirmed? If you are coming from a church in the Apostolic Succession (e. g., Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, or some others), and have already been confirmed, you would be "received" by the bishop of your diocese in a ceremony that normally takes place during the bishop's visit to your church. If you are coming from a different tradition, confirmation would probably be appropriate. Most churches hold "inquirer's classes" for people interested in reception or confirmation prior to the bishop's visitation. You will want to speak to the rector or vicar of your church if you are interested. Note that confirmation or reception is NOT necessary before you can receive communion or participate in the life of the church.

I have already been baptized in another church. If I become an Episcopalian, do I need to be re-baptized? No. "We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins," says the Creed. Once you have been baptized in any Christian church with water in the name of the Trinity, you have been received into the family of Christ (not into a particular denomination). To make a public, adult affirmation of faith, you should to be confirmed, if appropriate. You also always have the option of publicly reaffirming your baptismal vows, even after confirmation, if you so choose.

What does the Episcopal Church teach? “The Creeds are statements of our basic beliefs about God” (Book of Common Prayer, p. 851).

We will always have questions, but in the two foundational statements of faith – the Apostles’ Creed used at baptism, and the Nicene Creed used at communion – we join Christians throughout the ages in affirming our faith in the one God who created us, redeemed us, and sanctifies us. http://www.episcopalchurch.org/page/creeds